WANTON DESTRUCTION

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10544, 22 March 1920, Page 5

WANTON DESTRUCTION

OF SOLDIERS’ OLD CLOTHES ALLEGATIONS DENIED BY MINISTER FOR. DEFENSE. The reports recently published about the alleged wanton destruction of serviceable soldiers’ gear hT the Defence Department were referred to by the Hon. Mr Coates, Acting-Minister for Defence, in a statement made to a “Times” representative on Saturday. The Minister stated tha.t the whole matter could be summed up in the statement (1) that care is exercised by the officials in the disposal of the clothes; (2) and that the report alleging that garments, which could either be sold to the public or to institutions requiring them, or renovated for further use were destroyed, was not correct. ‘‘When tho newspaper reports about wilful waste being perpetrated by Defence officials in getting rid of soldiers? clothes were shown to me,” said Mr Coates, “I at once made a personal inspection of this branch of the department. I wanted to see for myself what was being done with the clothes: and to satisfy myself that the disposal of the garments was not going on on Wasteful and extravagant lines, as had been suggested, I went thoroughly into the classification of the clothes. I saw and examined the garments, which were put aside as fit for renovation, and those which were considered unfit for renovation and were being cut np for the rag merchants. From fflv inspection I am convinced that ‘wanton destruction’ of the clothes does not exist. The system that is being followed is, in my opinion, satisfactory; and I am convinced that the elaborate Checking that takes place does not permit of any garment being condemned that could be cleaned up, disinfected and repaired for use again. REPORT OF OFFICER IN CHARGE.

“Apart from my inspection I called upon the officer hi charge of the work of dealing with tho clothes for a full report showing the method of classification, the class of garments that was dealt with, what was done with them, and complete statistics of each class. A few extracts from the report will serve to show the arrangements carried out:—

“ ‘Old clothing on being returned to the Defence Stores is sorted out into two classes, namely—(a) Clothing fit for renovation; (b) clothing unfit for renovation, through wear and, tear or through it being in an insanitary condition.

“ ‘The clothing fit for renovation is then forwarded to .'the department’s laundry contractors, for laundering, disinfecting and renovating. After the clothing has been dealt with at the laundry it goes on to tho factory, where it is repaired. The clothing that is classified as unfit for renovation is laid out for inspection by a Board of Survey, and should the board consider that any clothing is fit for renovation it is forwarded to the contractor for that purpose. “ ‘As regards uniform clothing and underclothing -condemned, a - greater, portion of the uniform clothing now; disposed of as rags represents clothing returned ex transports. Prior to embarkation for New Zealand, returning troops were issued with renovated uniform clothing, for use as fatigue dress during the voyage, to permit of the other good suit which they had in their possession on embarkation being retained in good condition for use on arrival in Now Zealand. As this uniform clothing was renovated in the first place, and then used as fatigue dress on board ship, it will he readily understood that practically all of it • would be unfit for renovation on arrival in New Zealand. . .

“ ‘With regard to underclothing, the condition thereof has to be particularly bad before it is disposed of as rags. A good deal of the underclothing that is condemned consists of garments discarded by troops on board transports left lying about the ship and collected by the A.O.C. on arrival. “ ‘Slothing that is condemned is weighed. The articles arc then ripped up, and all uniform buttons are removed from the jackets, greatcoats and caps. Leather peaks are removed from the caps and utilised in the department’s boot factory for tip fillings. Hat and cap straps and cap wires are also removed and are retained by the department. Denim jackets and trousers are sometimes found to bo unfit for renovation owing to portions of them being worn out. Those of which portions are good are disposed’ of to the department’s renovating contractor at 6d per garment, who has them unpicked and utilises the good portions for pocketing, thus saving the department's stock of khaki drill, wliiofi would otherwise have to bo sold to the contractor for this purpose. . . “ ‘With regard to the wording of the resolution of the Addington workshop employees,'if would appear that tho workshop employees arc under tho lim pression that the garments now being disposed of as rags are those originally offered for sale. This suggestion is, of course, entirely incorrect. The disposing of unserviceable clothing as rags and the renovating of clothing fit for renovation have been proceeding concurrently during the war period.’ . . INSPECTION INVITED. ‘T think it will be clear from the indication I have given (.added tho Minister) that the process followed in the whole matter is thorough and quite the reverse of what has been represented. The tabulated schedules submitted to me dhow that every effort is being made to recompense the department on its initial outlay for clothing. “I very much regret that application was not made earlier for a supply of clothing for the members of the Railway Union at Addington. Had prompt action been taken by this branch of tho Public Service employees no doubt its wants would have been satisfied, as was tho case with some other branches of tho service employing thousands of hands, before the supply for sale ran out. ‘‘l should like to say that any accredited representative of tho Press, or representative of any association or union interested, will be permitted, on communication with mo, to make a personal inspection of the method employed by the Defence Department in dealing with tho clothes referred to."